BACKGROUND: Ethnic/racial inequalities in access to and quality of healthcare have been repeatedly documented in the USA. Although there is some evidence of inequalities in England, research is not so extensive. Ethnic inequalities in use of primary and secondary health services, and in outcomes of care, were examined in England. METHODS: Four waves of the Health Survey for England were analysed, a representative population survey with ethnic minority oversamples. Outcome measures included use of primary and secondary healthcare services and clinical outcomes of care (controlled, uncontrolled and undiagnosed) for three conditions - hypertension, raised cholesterol and diabetes. RESULTS: Ethnic minority respondents were not less likely to use GP services. For example, the adjusted odds ratios for Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi versus white respondents were 1.29 (95% confidence intervals 1.07 to 1.54), 1.32 (1.10 to 1.58) and 1.35 (1.10 to 1.65) respectively. Similarly, there were no ethnic inequalities for the clinical outcomes of care for hypertension and raised cholesterol, and, on the whole, no inequalities in outcomes of care for diabetes. There were ethnic inequalities in access to hospital services, and marked inequalities in use of dental care. CONCLUSION: Ethnic inequalities in access to healthcare and the outcomes of care for three conditions (hypertension, raised cholesterol and diabetes), for which treatment is largely provided in primary care, appear to be minimal in England. Although inequalities may exist for other conditions and other healthcare settings, particularly internationally, the implication is that ethnic inequalities in healthcare are minimal within NHS primary care.
BACKGROUND: Ethnic/racial inequalities in access to and quality of healthcare have been repeatedly documented in the USA. Although there is some evidence of inequalities in England, research is not so extensive. Ethnic inequalities in use of primary and secondary health services, and in outcomes of care, were examined in England. METHODS: Four waves of the Health Survey for England were analysed, a representative population survey with ethnic minority oversamples. Outcome measures included use of primary and secondary healthcare services and clinical outcomes of care (controlled, uncontrolled and undiagnosed) for three conditions - hypertension, raised cholesterol and diabetes. RESULTS: Ethnic minority respondents were not less likely to use GP services. For example, the adjusted odds ratios for Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi versus white respondents were 1.29 (95% confidence intervals 1.07 to 1.54), 1.32 (1.10 to 1.58) and 1.35 (1.10 to 1.65) respectively. Similarly, there were no ethnic inequalities for the clinical outcomes of care for hypertension and raised cholesterol, and, on the whole, no inequalities in outcomes of care for diabetes. There were ethnic inequalities in access to hospital services, and marked inequalities in use of dental care. CONCLUSION: Ethnic inequalities in access to healthcare and the outcomes of care for three conditions (hypertension, raised cholesterol and diabetes), for which treatment is largely provided in primary care, appear to be minimal in England. Although inequalities may exist for other conditions and other healthcare settings, particularly internationally, the implication is that ethnic inequalities in healthcare are minimal within NHS primary care.
Authors: Andrés A Agudelo-Suárez; Elena Ronda-Pérez; Diana Gil-González; Carmen Vives-Cases; Ana M García; Carlos Ruiz-Frutos; Emily Felt; Fernando G Benavides Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-08-17 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Paul K Whelton; Paula T Einhorn; Paul Muntner; Lawrence J Appel; William C Cushman; Ana V Diez Roux; Keith C Ferdinand; Mahboob Rahman; Herman A Taylor; Jamy Ard; Donna K Arnett; Barry L Carter; Barry R Davis; Barry I Freedman; Lisa A Cooper; Richard Cooper; Patrice Desvigne-Nickens; Nara Gavini; Alan S Go; David J Hyman; Paul L Kimmel; Karen L Margolis; Edgar R Miller; Katherine T Mills; George A Mensah; Ann M Navar; Gbenga Ogedegbe; Michael K Rakotz; George Thomas; Jonathan N Tobin; Jackson T Wright; Sung Sug Sarah Yoon; Jeffrey A Cutler Journal: Hypertension Date: 2016-09-12 Impact factor: 10.190
Authors: Diana Gil-González; Carmen Vives-Cases; Carme Borrell; Andrés A Agudelo-Suárez; Mari Carmen Davó-Blanes; Juanjo Miralles; Carlos Álvarez-Dardet Journal: J Immigr Minor Health Date: 2014-04
Authors: Daniela Fonseca de Freitas; India Patel; Giouliana Kadra-Scalzo; Megan Pritchard; Hitesh Shetty; Matthew Broadbent; Rashmi Patel; Johnny Downs; Aviv Segev; Mizanur Khondoker; James H MacCabe; Kamaldeep Bhui; Richard D Hayes Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2022-03-04 Impact factor: 4.519